Disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong sued by Sunday Times for 1million to recoup libel payout
Sunday Times wants back the 300,000 they paid him in 2006, plus interestThey claim his original libel action was 'baseless and fraudulent'He is expected to lose out on 30million in sponsorship over next five years

|

UPDATED:

16:17 GMT, 24 December 2012

Cyclist Lance Armstrong is being sued by Sunday Times for the return of damages it paid him in 2006

Lance Armstrong is being sued by The Sunday Times for more than 1million after it lost a libel action to the disgraced cyclist for printing doping claims now known to be true.

The Sunday Times paid Armstrong 300,000 in 2006 to settle a case after it reprinted claims from a book alleging that Armstrong had taken performance-enhancing drugs.

The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency concluded this year that Armstrong ran a doping programme on his teams and he was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and banned from cycling for life.

The Sunday Times announced in an article in its latest edition that it has issued legal papers against Armstrong.

'It is clear that the proceedings were baseless and fraudulent,' the paper said in a letter to Armstrong's lawyers.

'Your representations that you had never taken performance enhancing drugs were deliberately false.'

The paper, which is owned by Rupert
Murdoch's News Corp., said its total claim against Armstrong is 'likely
to exceed' 1million pounds ($1.6 million).

This year Armstrong was banned for life and stripped of all results
since August 1998, including his seven successive Tour wins when the U.S.
Anti-Doping Agency released a massive report detailing allegations of
widespread doping by Armstrong and his teams.

The
document ordered 14 years of his career results erased – including
the Tour titles. It contained sworn statements from 26 witnesses,
including 11 former teammates.

The Sunday Times, owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp., said its total claim against Armstrong is 'likely to exceed' 1million pounds

2011May – Forced to deny claims made by former team-mate Tyler Hamilton that they took performance-enhancing drugs together.

2012February – An investigation into alleged doping by Armstrong is dropped by federal prosecutors.

June – United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) confirm they will file formal doping charges.

July – Armstrong files lawsuit against USADA accusing them of 'corrupt inducements' to other cyclists to testify against him.

August 20 – Armstrong's legal action dismissed.

August 24 – Armstrong announces he will not fight doping charges filed against him.

October 10 – USADA claim 11 of Armstrong's former team-mates have testified against him.

October 18 – Six companies cancel their sponsorship deals with Armstrong

October 22 – Cycling's world governing body, the UCI confirms it has ratified USADA's decision to ban Armstrong from cycling for life and to strip him of his seven Tour de France titles for doping offences.

October 26 – The UCI confirms Armstrong's Tour titles will not be awarded to other riders.

December – Sunday Times demands more than 1million from Lance Armstrong after they lost a libel action to him in 2006 for printing doping claims.

The 41-year-old Armstrong, who overcame life-threatening testicular
cancer, retired from cycling a year ago.

He announced in August that he
would no longer fight the doping allegations that have dogged him for
years.

In October he was ordered to pay back all the cycling prize money he won while using performance-enhancing drugs.

Armstrong is now set to lose at
least 30million in sponsorship deals over the next five years after a
string of companies followed Nike's decision to ditch the disgraced
cyclist.

Bike sponsor Trek
Bicycles and helmet sponsor Giro are among the glut of companies who have distanced
themselves from the cyclist.

Technology retailer Radioshack also decided to have
nothing more to do with the 41-year-old as did food maker Honey Stringer
and health club franchise 24HR Fitness.

Energy drink manufacturer FRS said Armstrong had been 'on its board for several years but had resigned.'

Just two hours after Nike said it was terminating its contracting with the star Anheuser-Busch followed suit.

With
his career and reputation in tatters the athlete seemingly no longer
offers sponsors the image or publicity they desire from a sports star.

In October Lance Armstrong was stripped of all seven Tour de France titles, including this one in 2005, and banned for life after 11 team mates testified that he took performance-enhancing drugs